Domaine des Lambrays

From Cîteaux Abbey to LVMH

A real estate deed dated 1365, held in the Cîteaux Abbey Archives and bearing the reference February, mentions a parcel of land named Cloux des Lambrey located in Morey-Saint-Denis. This is the earliest record of Clos, making Domaine des Lambrays the oldest documented name within the LVMH family, with a history dating back several centuries.

Monks cultivated the vineyard during the Middle Ages period. Later, during the Revolution period, the vineyard was confiscated and divided among approximately 74 buyers. It took most of the 19th century and a substantial amount of money to reunite this vineyard into a single plot.

Renée Cosson inherited the property in 1938, but the vineyard began to fall into disrepair shortly thereafter. By the 1970s, a significant portion of the property had been neglected for decades.

The turning point came in 1979, when Roland de Chambure and the Saier brothers purchased the property and hired Thierry Brouin, a young enologist from Dijon at the time, to manage it. Brouin remained steadfast for decades, regardless of changes in ownership. In 1981, Clos des Lambrays achieved Grand Cru status.

In 1996, Günter and Ruth Freund acquired the estate and invested heavily in the vineyards and winery. Günter passed away in 2010, and in 2014, Ruth Freund sold the vineyard to LVMH. Currently, Jacques Devauges is at the helm of Domaine.

One clos, three lieux-dits

Clos des Lambrays covers an area of just under 9 hectares, of which approximately 8.66 hectares are designated as Grand Cru. Since Domaine des Lambrays owns all but a very small corner of this land, which is owned by Domaine Taupenot-Merme, this wine is typically referred to as an almost-monopole rather than a monopole.

The slopes here are gentle and uneven, facing east and southeast, and rise from 250 to 370 meters above sea level. Due to these varying exposures, Clos is divided into three distinct named areas rather than a single one: Larrey, derived from an old word meaning side of a hill; Les Bouchots, located on the northern edge; and Meix-Rentier, situated at the foot of the hill.

Planting density ranges from 10,000 to 12,000 vines per hectare; the average age of the vines is approximately 40 years, and the target yield is 31 hectoliters per hectare.

On the outskirts of Clos are two Premier Cru vineyards and four Village vineyards located in Morey-Saint-Denis, all of which are planted with Pinot Noir. Les Loups is made by blending grapes harvested from young vines within Clos with grapes from Clos Sorbet, located directly below the winery. In addition, the Puligny-Montrachet region contains several Chardonnay vineyards divided into ouvrée units. Here, an ouvrée is an old Burgundian unit equivalent to one-twenty-fourth of a hectare.

The terroir

As the elevation of Clos increases, the soil also changes. Near the summit, the soil consists mainly of marl, a crumbly mixture of clay and limestone, while at the base of the mountain, it is a mixture of clay and limestone. A single wine is born from these two soil types.

Frost illustrates the importance of location better than any soil map. In 2016, frost damaged the Village vines located just above Clos but left Clos itself unscathed; a difference in elevation of just a few meters made all the difference.

Morey-Saint-Denis is situated in a narrow strip of Côte de Nuits where vines have grown since Charlemagne's era; which is a strip of land 500 to 600 meters wide stretching along the old national highway (route nationale).

The grape varieties

• 100% Pinot Noir in Clos des Lambrays, as well as all Morey-Saint-Denis vineyards owned by this estate (including both Premier Cru and Village vineyards)
• Chardonnay in small vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, spanning two Premier Cru climats

White wine production is truly minimal. In 2014, just 1,500 bottles were produced from one of the Puligny vineyards.

The winemaking

Aging takes place in the arched cellar beneath the house. Oak barrels are used, and by replacing half of them each year, the wine maintains a subtle flavor without the woody aroma becoming too strong.

There are two storage cellars here, which locals refer to as the Big Cellar and the Small Cellar. However, these names can be misleading. This is because the Large Cellar is a relatively new structure, whereas the Small Cellar is an ancient one dating back to the 16th century. During the Second World War era, the old cellar was bricked up to hide the wine from the occupying forces, and it remained sealed for a long time afterward. Behind the gate lies the estate's wine library, which houses vintages spanning a century.

By the time LVMH took over the property, Domaine des Lambrays had already been farming without pesticides or fertilizers for nearly 20 years.

The wines

Clos des Lambrays is this winery's most famous wine; it is one of the five Grand Crus of the Morey-Saint-Denis region.

The rest of the lineup is built around this wine. Les Loups, Clos Sorbè and Clos Bauletis are Morey-Saint-Denis's Premier Cru, taking its name from the two wolves depicted on both the village coat of arms and the winery's coat of arms. There is also the Morey-Saint-Denis village wine, which is primarily made from grapes harvested from vines located a few meters higher than those of Clos. Further away, Domaine des Lambrays bottles the Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, the Les Folatières and Clos du Cailleret, and the Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, produced from La Richemone.

The best vintages of the Clos des Lambrays

Top vintages for the Clos des Lambrays are: 1921, 1937, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1955, 1962, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1990, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2020.